Apparatus for transferring freight



Jan. 24; 1933. H 1,894,951

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FREIGHT Original Filed Oct. 23. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 2/ /z @gfiibounuummnm' 1 15.1

dbbmmm Jan. 24, 1933. F|TH 1,894,951

APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FREIGHT Original Filed Oct. 23. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuntor (@WWWJZK,

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APPARATUS FOR'TRANSFERRING FREIGHT Original Filed Oct. 23. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 6

Jwwntoo Patented Jan. 24, 1933 UNITED srn'rnsrarenr oFF c BENJAMIN'F. FITCH, OF GREIfllIfiTl't'iI-I,v CONN ECTICUT, A8SIG-NOR T MOTOR TERMINALS GUMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FREIGHT original application filed October 23, 1929, Serial No. 401,816. Divided and this application filed Gctober 29, 1930. Serial No. 2.91329.

This invention relates to an apparatus for transferring freight from station platforms vice versa, and is a division of my applica-v and the like, by the employment of automobile trucks having demountable bodies which may be rolled from platform to truck and tion for Letters Patent, Serial No. 401,816, filed October :28, 1929. The general object of this invention is to provide simple and effective means for facilitating such rolling operation. More specifically, I provide the station platform with a trackway to receive the body and which may be elevated at its distant end to enable gravity to assist in rolling a body from the platform onto a truck. Finally I provide means by which the trac tive efiort of the truck may be employed to tip the trackway on the platform when the body is to be rolled onto the truck.

The above outlined features willbe hereinafter more fully explained in connection with the drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof, and the essential novel characteristics will be summarized in the claims. v

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a truck and station platform equipped with my tipping trackway and showing the body in position on the platform before it has rolled onto the truck platform; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the body in the act of rolling from the station platform onto the truck platform; Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on a larger scale of the truck body and its trackway and the associated parts out-he station platform; Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating the station trackway. elevated; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the station platform lengthwise of the' tipping trackway thereon; Fig. 6 is a cross section of the same in a vertical plane indicated by the line 6--6 on Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective of a stationary guide carried by the platform for causing the tipping of the platform trackway when drawn longitudinally outward; Fig. 8 is a vertical section through a rear portion of the truck and its trackway, being an enlarged section on the plane 8-8 on Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the coacting leveling and locking parts caused by the platform and truck, these parts being shown on a smaller scale in Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a section in a horizontal plane indicated" by the line 10-1O on Fig. 9.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, l0 designates the fixed body of an automobile truck and 11 and 12 the wheels thereof,some of which are adapted to be driven by the power of the truck. The body may have a pair of longi tudinal sills braced by suitable cross sills. Surrounding this body is a frame 20 which has the usual longitudinal sills and cross members and carries as its top surface a pair of parallel trackways 26.

F igs. l and 2 show at A. a demountable automobile body which is a container with walls, floor, roof and suitable bracing and is provided with suitable doors indicated at a. This body has four or more. wheels al (Fig. 6) in its floor frame which rest on the trackways 26 ofthe truck when the body is mounted thereon, The wheels may be flanged or the trackways flanged as desired. I prefer to make'the wheels plain cylindrical members and flange the trackway, the trackway being thus an upwardly facing shallow channel bar. When the container or body is on the truck, it is positioned at its forward end by abutting a stop plate 27 on the frame and isheld at its rear end by suit able gate or other cross member. I have shown such rear locking gate as an arm 28 rotatably mounted on a cross rod 21. Suitable means are provided for locking this bar in its upright position, as for instance, the latch 29 slidably mounted in the tipping frame and adapted to coact with the surface of the arm 28 and prevent rotation of the arm. The latch 29 may be operated by means of a bar 29a threaded to the latch and extending through the tipping frame where it may be bent downwardly so as to.

-means of a suitable padlock or the like.-

Suitable means are provided to bring the truck frame to a proper height as the truck backs into place. To effect this, I utilize the invention shown in my copending application No. 321,834, filed November 26th, 1929, and comprising rollers 50 and 51 mounted on shafts52 and, 53 journalled in brackets 54 rigidly carried 'by the truck frame 10 and depending therefrom. These rollers are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the thickness of a horizontal ledge 40 projecting from the vertical wall of the station platform. This ledge is so arranged that when a truck carrying a maximum load backs into place the truck will stand at such elevation that the ledge 40 will engage the upper roller 50 which will thereby ride ontop of the web suitably raising the truck body as it backs into place. If the truck carries a minimum load (where there is no container on the truck) the ledge 40 downward pressure on the w eels and inwill engage the lower roller 51 and will thus lower the truck body. Fig. 8 shows two aligned pairs of rollers 50, 51, which I find a convenient arrangement.

It will be noticed that when a truck without a container backs into position and the ledge 40 engaging the rollers 51 draws down the frame, this action causes a compression of the truck springs, thereb V exerting a creasing the traction power of the truck. Thls condition will exist as long as the truck is engaged by the ledge and proves advantageous in starting the truck. I

I have shown the platform abutment feferred to as comprising a cross member 40 rigidly projecting from the vertical wall 41 of the station platform 42. .This bumper member may be m the natureof a horizontal web suitably braced by vertical webs indicated at 44 and'havin a head 45 whereby it may be effectively em edded in the material of the platform which may, for instance, be of cement. 5

I rovide the station latform with a tip a le frame having trac ays adapted'to register with the truck trackways and receive the wheels of the demountable bodies. Suchstation frame maybe built up of longitudinal side rails 60,; intermediate longitudinal rails 61 carryingtrackwa s 62 an'dsuitable cross members 6 he si e members 60 carry several outwardly extending studs 65 on which are mounted rollers 66. These rollers extend .into inclined openings in suitable blocks 71 secured to securing members 75 rigidly carried by the station platform 42.

I have shown the blocks 75 as having flanges 73 overlying the securing blocks 75 which are embedded 1n the cement of-the platform, screws 76 rigidly connecting the parts together. V

When the tippin frame on the statlon platform stands wit its outer end substanplatform, as shown in Figs. '2 and 3, the tipping frame 60is horizontal. This is the position which it occu ies when therdemountable body is being ro ed from the truck onto the station platform. In this position, each of the rollers 66 occupy the lower or rearmost portion of the inclined stationary grooves 70, which portions are all on the same level. To enable the power of the truck tovti the inner end of the station frame upwar I make the inclined guides 7 O successively steeper as one proceeds away from the edge of the platform and I ro'vide means whereby the truck frame may e attached to the station frame andmove it longitudinally for a short distance as the truck moves away from the platform wall 42. This outward movement causes the rollers to ride up the successively steeper inclines 7 0 and thus tip upwardly the inner end of the frame, as indicated in Fig. 5.

To look the truck to the station frame, I may avail myself of the locking bar 28 heretofore referred to. With that in View, I providethis locking bar .with a downwardl or outwardly projecting latch portion80 w ich may engage in an o ening 81 in a suitable block 82 in the station frame adiacent its forward end. Thus, by turning own this locking bar, I at once leave the bridgeway clear toor from the truck trackway and lock the truck to the station platform. A short outward movement'of the truck then does not change the close abutment of the station frame to the truck frame, but-draws the station frame outwardly and tips. its inner end u wardly so that the body thereon ma be rea ily rolled onto the truck frame.

t will bevseen that when a body loaded truck backs into the station if the station frame is projectin'g beyond theedge of the platform wall 41, the truck abuts it and shoves it inwardly during the time the truck,

is being leveled and then the body may be shoved from the truck manually or automatically, as described and claimed in my cop ending application, Serial No. 401,816. hus, irrespective of the position of the station frame at the beginning of the movement, the station frame will be in its inner and horizontal osition when the truck has completed its bac in movement and the forward end of itstrac ays is elevated; Now,'by turning down the locking bar 28, the truck becomes locked to the station frame and the demountable body may be readily and safely rolled oil of the truck onto the station platform. It thus comes. onto the station frame which is horizontal and maybe left there for" To transfer a body from the station platform to the truck, this body is first placed on the tipping-frame 60 when it is horizontal and hence is at its innermost position. Now the truck backs into place and the end gate 28 is hooked to the station platform frame, then the truck moves outwardy for a short distance under its own power which is readily accomplished becauseof the traction given the truck by reason of its engagement with the bumper, as heretofore described. This outward movement of the truck elevates the inner end ofthe'station frame. Now, the movement of the truck stops and the body may be readily rolled'by manual power down the incline of the station frame and onto the trackway on the tipping frame of the truck which is now horizontal. At the conclusion of such operation, a very slight backward movement of the truck will relieve the pressure on'the locking gate 28- and it may be swung into its vertical position to release the tipping platform of the station and at the locking bar 29 may be shoved intoengage ment with the latch 28, thereby locking it in a position to act as a tail gate for the loaded body on the truck. Thus, as heretofore stated, I utilize the power of the truck to tip the inner end of the body when it is on the platform to enable it to be readily rolled onto the truck;

I claim: 1

l. The combination with a truck, of a tiltable and shiftable support, means for attaching the truck to the support, whereby the truck in driving out may pullthe support with it a short distance, and means whereby such outward movement of the support causes the elevation of its inner end to assist in rolling a body from the support onto the truck. f

2. The combination of a station having a truck pit and an elevated platform adjacent thereto, a longitudinally movable support mounted on the elevated portion of-the platform, means for anchoring the truck to the support, whereby the truck in driving out of the pit may pull the support with it a short distance, and means whereby such outward movement of the support causes the elevation of its inner end to assist in rolling a body from the support onto the truck.

3. The combination with a truck, a demountable body adapted to be carried thereby, a station having a bodily movable tiltable frame, means whereby the outward movement of the frame tips the frame, said frame being adapted to carry the demountable body, and means for attachin the truck to said frame whereby outwar .movement of the truck may tip the station frame.

4. The combination of a truck adapted to carry a demountable body on wheels, a station having a shiftable frame, and roller and inclined guide connections between the frame and a stationary part of the station, whereby the shifting movement of the frame will tip its inner end upwardly, said station frame having a trackway for receiving thedemountable body.

5. The combination of a truck adapted to carry a demountable body, a station having a movable frame, means whereby the longitudinal movement of the frame elevates the inner end of the frame, said frame being adapted to carry a similar automobile body, and means for connecting the'truck to the station frame to enable the truck to move the frame longitudinally while maintaining a trackway for the body from the frame to the truck.

6. The combination of a truck adapted to carry a demountable body, a station having a movable frame, means whereby the longitudinal movement of the frame outwardly elevates the inner end of the frame, said frame having a trackway for carrying a similar automobile body, and a latch member serving in one position to hold a body on the truck and in another position to lock the truck to the station frame. I

7. The combination of a station having a platform adapted to tip, a truck having a trackway, a demountable body, cooperating means on the truck and station to bring the truck to a definite height and maintain it v for a short movement of the truck relative to the station, mechanism for raising the dis tant end of the platform, there being an operating connect-ion between said mechanism and the truck.

8. The combination of a station having a platform and a truck runway, a highway truck adapted to travel on the runway, a tiltable frame on the station platform, mechanism for raising the distant end of the tilt-' ing frame, means for connecting said mechanism to the truck, a pair of leveling rollers carried by the truck frame, and an abutment ing and supporting the inner end of the platform when so moved, and means for anchoring a truck to the outer end of the platform whereby the outward movement of the truck will raise the inner end of the platform.

10. The combination of a truck, a demountable body adapted to be carried thereby, a station havin a tippable trackway adapted to carry t e demountable body, mechanism for raising the distant end of the trackway and an interlocking connection between said mechanism and the truck whereby movement of the truck raises the distant end of the trackway.

11. The combination of a truck, a demountable bod adapted to becarried' there by, a station avin a tippable trackwayadapted to carry e demountable body,

mec anism for raising the. distant end of the trackway, and an operating connection between said mechanism and the truck whereby movement of the truck raises the distant end "of the trackway, there being means for maintaining a suitable track for said body from the station to the truck during said tipping movement of the trackway.

12. The combination of an automobile truck carryin a trackway a station havin 15 a trackway a apted to register with that o the truck, said station trackway being tiltable to raise the end distant from the truck,' and means operable by the movement of the truck relative to the station for raising the distant end of such station trackway to enable the rolling of a body thereon onto the truck, there being means to enable a close connection of such trackways during the rolling movement. 25 In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature. BENJAMIN F. FITCH. 

